2018 MIG Top 30 Movies to Get You In the Christmas Spirit

The holiday season is here, which means it’s time for a list of our favorite Christmas movies.  Our team has created a list of 30 movies to get you in the Christmas spirit. Movies help you hit pause on this crazy season and bask in the season of lights, gifts, and love.  We included a range of movies for all ages and hopefully added a few new ones that you can add to your list.

1. Gremlins (1984)
Snow, Christmas lights, and crazy Gremlins.

2.  National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
Chevy Chase struggles through the holidays with lots of laughs.

3. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
A classic that brings back memories of your childhood. You can’t NOT think about Charlie Brown’s love for a sad, little Christmas tree.

4. Meet Me In St.Louis (1944)
Judy Garland singing “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”- YES PLEASE!

5. A Christmas Carol (1951)
Another classic that reminds you of the spirit of Christmas in this Charles Dickens’ classic tale.

6. Dr. Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Jim Carrey was made to play the Grinch. This live action movie of the story reminds you of the true meaning of Christmas and helps to melt your Grinch heart.

7. Scrooged (1988)
Bill Murray shines in this modern telling of A Christmas Carol.
8. Bad Santa (2003)
Not for kids, but a great watch for adults.

9. Elf (2003)
Will Ferrell dressed as an Elf? Sign us up! The one-liners in this are really great and will have you quoting the movie the rest of the month.

10. Home Alone (1990)
This movie screams Christmas! Poor Kevin gets left at home for the holidays and has some adventures. If you’re feeling the Christmas spirit, make it a Home Alone night and watch 2 & 3.

11. Die Hard (1988)
Bruce Willis crashes his estranged wife’s Christmas party that is taken over by terrorists.

12. The Family Stone (2005)
An uptight, woman accompanies her boyfriend to meet his eccentric family during Christmas.

13. Jingle All the Way (1996)
A father (Schwarzenegger) vows to get his son a Turbo Man and hilarity ensues when the entire town is sold out.

14. Trading Places (1983)
This one makes the adult Christmas movie list! A snob investor (Dan Aykroyd) and con artist (Eddie Murphy) find their roles reversed after a bet is placed by two bored millionaire brothers.

15. The Santa Clause (1994)
When Tim Allen accidentally kills Santa on Christmas Eve, he finds himself becoming the new Santa.

16. The Holiday (2006)
Two women (Kate Winslet & Cameron Diaz) swap homes with two different lifestyles to escape their love lives at home during Christmas.

17.  Love Actually (2003)
This movie follows the lives of 8 very different couples dealing with love during Christmas time.

18. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
A Christmas tradition with one of our favorite reindeers.

19. The Ref (1994)
Another to watch after the kids have gone to sleep. A burglar takes a dysfunctional family hostage on Christmas Eve. Amazing roles for Denis Leary & Kevin Spacey.

20. The Family Man (2000)
A wealthy broker has his life turned around when he wakes up with a different life path then he had taken.

21. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
A murder mystery that brings a unique collection of people together to solve.

22.  A Christmas Story (1983)
This is a Christmas favorite! Don’t shoot your eye out!

23. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
How would life be if you hadn’t been born? A businessman is taught an important lesson during the holidays when an angel grants him his wish.

24. Four Brothers (2005)
Tuck the kids in and turn on Four Brothers! Their foster mother is murdered and four foster brothers hunt down her murderer during the holidays.

25. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
It’s the muppets in their rendition of A Christmas Carol! You are guaranteed a laugh.

26. White Christmas (1954)
Two guys after leaving the army team up to become a top song-and-dance act. They meet a pair of sisters who are doing the same thing and a series of romantic mix-ups ensue while performing a Christmas show.

27. ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974)
A little town finds out that someone wrote Santa an insulting letter and he has returned everyone’s letters (humans and mice). He also has removed them from his delivery itinerary. The town works together to get back on the Good List.

28. The Polar Express (2004)
A little boy takes the Polar Express train to the North Pole and learns about the spirit of Christmas.

29. While You Were Sleeping (1995)
Sandra Bullock plays Lucy a lonely romantic who saves the life of a man who ends up in a coma. The family befriends her and she plays along as the man’s fiancee. She begins to fall in love with his brother and the holiday drama ensues.

30. Frosty the Snowman (1969)
A holiday classic about our favorite snowman. 

Did we miss any on the must-watch list? There are so many great Christmas movies out there that become even more special when you share them with family as a tradition.